Away
by B.A. Wolfe
SYNOPSIS:
What good is running AWAY when you only end up lost?
Cassandra Pierce had her whole "perfect" life planned out by her parents. One night of pure weakness and lust has her running away from it all and seeking refuge in Alamosa with her best friend. But it seems life has other plans for her when she finds herself lost in the small town of Keaton.
Jason Bradley is a charming country guy. He lives a simple life that’s nothing like what Cassandra is used to. A single moment in life changed everything he thought he once knew, leaving him with a broken heart and an unplanned future.
What happens in Keaton is nothing Cassandra or her heart could have ever prepared for. The instant connection she shares with Jason is no secret, but what they're keeping hidden from one another is. Will these two be able to find a way to trust each other or will their secrets tear them apart?
EXCERPT:
It was hard to sleep; I was tossing and turning more than ever before. The butterflies in my stomach were in full force as I recollected about each kiss Jason gave me; on my lips and on my bare skin. My thoughts were interrupted as I heard the beeping on my phone. I saw the light illuminating my room as I reached over to grab it; it was a text from Jason. I was suddenly extremely grateful I let him plug his number into my phone after we left the garage earlier today.
Are you asleep yet?
How could I be sleeping? His lips just rocked my world; my heart was racing too much to be sleeping.
Not a chance.
Me either.
I put my phone down and got out of bed. I didn't know what else to do so I let my body decide. It would have argued with my brain either way. I let my infectious craving for his lips guide me downstairs to his room as I quietly crept to his door.
I took a deep breath and tapped on his door. He swung it open immediately as if he knew I was on the other side. The room was dimly lit, but I could see just enough. He was standing there in nothing but boxers; I couldn't help but look him up and down from head to toe. His mouth was open and his breathing was heavy as his chest rose and fell quickly, matching mine. It didn't take long for the hunger inside to take over. He stepped forward and grabbed a hold of me, pulling me close to him as he took us over to his bed. I didn't know where we were going to take this tonight, and quite frankly, I just didn't care; all I knew was I needed to be with him. It could have been Jase, it could have been my hormones, but every part of me was craving his touch. I got a taste and I needed more.
“Cassie,” he whispered.
“Shhh,” I whispered back. I put my finger over his mouth. I didn't want to hear what he was going to say, we had done enough talking for the night.
I stepped up closer to him, raising myself on my tippy toes so I was closer to his lips as I pressed mine hard against his. I heard a small moan escape him as he tangled his hands in my loose hair, pulling us onto the bed.
We fell onto the bed and I positioned myself with my back against it as Jason hovered over me, his arms on either side. I took my hands, placed them on his scruffy face, and pulled him closer to me. Somewhere between being pulled onto the bed and Jason hovering over me, our lips had lost each other; this was not going to work for me. I didn't even have to pull hard as his lips curled up and lowered down to my face. “I've never seen you like this Sweetheart,” he whispered into my ear as he nibbled on it.
I was sure a soft moan escaped my lips as he took my ear into his mouth. “I've been holding it in,” I told him.
“I can tell,” he said quietly before running his lips down my neck then into the curve of my shoulder. It was making me shiver from my neck all the way down to the aching spot between my legs. He was trailing his way down my neck when I suddenly realized I needed to take off what was keeping him from continuing further down.
“Wait,” I breathed out. Jason lifted his lips from my skin as I wiggled my arms enough to slip off the cami I was wearing, throwing it to the side of the bed. He closed his eyes and let out a deep breath.
“Damn Cassie, you are going to be the death of me.” He opened his eyes back up, piercing them into mine. I needed more.
“Please keep going,” I begged him.
“You don’t have to beg, but it's so damn sexy when you do,” he said softly as he brought his lips back to my skin, taking his time as he moved further down to my bare chest. He slowly grazed his lips across each breast before making his way down, trailing kisses until he got to the top of my yoga pants. He was driving me wild; I was having a hard time not ripping all my clothes off. This was not normal for me, but I loved every moment of it. He was bringing out a side of me that hadn't existed before, and I hoped it didn't go away.
I grabbed his upper arms and rolled us over so I was on top of him. I could feel that this was just as good for him as it was for me, as his excitement was sitting between my legs.
“Enjoying yourself?” I asked in the sexiest voice I could find.
“You have no idea. Now get down here,” he said as he pulled me down to his lips, biting down on my lower one before smiling and finally pressing our lips together again. Kissing him was what I always imagined it should feel like. Not wanting our lips to ever be apart because they felt too good pressed together. I knew deep down kissing had to be that amazing or people wouldn’t be so passionate about it. I completely understood it now and I could finally say the feeling happened to me. Jason, he made it happen, he was the spark that lit my lips on fire. I couldn’t help but go insane inside as his lips continued to kiss me like his life depended on it. I slowly released my lips from his and began placing kisses on his chin, running them all the way down from his chest to the very top of his boxers. I slowly raised myself up and loved seeing the satisfied grin plastered on his face. I put my hands on his shoulders and caressed them all the way down, feeling his chest form goose bumps as I did. I took my index finger and traced a line along the top of his boxers, making a soft moan rumble through him. I lowered myself back down on top of him; his hands grabbing my back as our bare chests collided together. I leaned my mouth close to his ear, whispering into it. “I know you green light this.”
That must have sparked something in him because I heard a growl escape his throat as he rolled us back so he was now hovering over me once again.
“Just so you know, I'm not this guy. I'm not normally the guy who has a hard time controlling himself. You seriously have me going crazy right now,” he said with a heavy breath
“Just so you know. I like it.”
REVIEW....PENDING
JASE POV – BAR SCENE
“I
gotta go. I promised Kasey a dance,” Moose said before running off
like he was up to something.
I
shook my head and took another sip of water.
“Hey
there. This seat taken?”
I
didn’t even have to look at her to know who the voice belonged to.
The sweet sound made everything inside of me melt. “For a girl like
you? It’s never taken,” I told her as I finally realized what
Moose was up to.
She
smiled back, but this time, she didn’t take her eyes off of me. I
knew the feeling all too well. I didn’t ever want to stop staring
at her. She looked away and began fidgeting with her glass. The
contents were clear and only confirmed what I thought I knew.
“What
are you thinking about over there Cassie?” She swiveled her stool
in my direction and I couldn’t help but watch her cheeks flush. It
was the perfect shade of red on her. Jase, get a grip man.
“Nothing,”
she replied.
The
look in her eyes said otherwise. “I can tell you’re lying.”
“Fine,
you seem sad, Jase,” she said.
How
could she tell? How did she know? Was I not hiding my feelings or
past good enough? I gazed down at the floor as I held my glass tight
in my hands.
“You
can talk to me,” she said, placing her hand on my knee. My skin
blazed with heat under her touch. It was all I could do to keep from
screaming out to her what was wrong. She had too much going on in her
life to have to deal with my problems too. I was stuck. I couldn’t
tell her the truth. She wouldn’t accept it and then it would just
be heartbreak. At least at this point, we weren’t anything but
friends. I wanted more. I couldn’t deny that part of my heart that
was internally punching me for not making a move already. It wouldn’t
be fair to her though.
A
sudden coldness lingered over my knee. Her hand was back up on the
bar. I missed her touch. I needed to touch her. We had to dance.
I
hopped off the bar stool and stood behind her gorgeously dressed
body. It was all I could do not to put my lips on her bare shoulder
as I inched my mouth closer to her ear.
“You
can talk to me too you know,” I whispered.
I
moved her stool around so she was now in between my legs. “Let’s
dance pretty girl,” I said.
A
smile tugged on her lips. Her hand was still in mine as I started to
walk away, except she didn’t budge.
I
looked back; her eyes were double their normal size. “There’s a
slight problem,” she said, quietly.
I
moved in closer, put my hands on her knees, and leaned my ear by her
mouth. She smelled so good. Jase, man you have got to stop.
Focus.
“I don’t know how to dance country,” she confessed.
What?
I moved back and started laughing, uncontrollably. That was what her
problem was? It was adorable and innocent and in turn, only made my
feelings for her that much stronger. Why couldn’t it have been that
she had to go the restroom or something awkward like that?
The
flesh of her palm suddenly covered my mouth and instantly stopped my
laugh. My stomach knotted. It took all of the control I had in me not
to press a kiss to the inside of her hand that so roughly covered my
lips.
“Stop
laughing, this is serious,” she said. Yes, it is serious;
seriously cute.
I
reluctantly took her hand off my mouth. “I’ll lead, you just
follow. You’ll be okay. Just go with it, Cassie,” I told her.
This time I made sure she came with me as I pulled her off the chair
similar to a parent helping a child off.
The
song that played through the speakers was perfect. I didn’t even
plan it, but it worked out to my benefit. I really hoped she
recognized it, but I wasn’t positive she would. I didn’t know if
she was feeling the same pull I was and if our moment in the street
was one that would stay with her, like it did me.
I
took her hand in mine and placed her other behind my back. I pressed
our bodies together as I wrapped my other hand around her lower back.
I made sure there was no space between us, not even room to breathe.
The song had me wanting her badly, and getting her as close as
possible was all I could think about.
“Don’t
be scared, just like we practiced in the street,” I said. Her eyes
gazed into mine as if they were seeing them for the first time.
My
mission at first was to get her to let loose and have fun tonight,
but now, all I wanted to do was recreate the moment in the street.
This was far surpassing that though.
I
took control and did as I told her I would. I led and swayed us,
keeping it smooth and slow, just like the song. Our eyes hadn’t
stopped staring into one another since we stepped onto the dance
floor, and every ounce of me wanted our skin to touch. The music kept
us moving as I slowly rested my check against hers. The heat of her
skin immediately radiated onto mine. It traveled down to my torso and
only continued further. This girl had me flushed from head to toe.
Her body suddenly relaxed into mine as my hand held onto her. It was
that moment that I knew I had her; I had all of her, mind and body.
And it was then that my voice box let loose and started humming along
with the song.
Her
body tensed in my arms and a second later her warm soft cheek slid
away from me. Her eyes peered into mine as she searched them. I
continued to hum as the wheels in her head seemed to turn. I know
you know this song, Sweetheart. Come on. I know you do.
“This
is the song you were humming in the street isn’t it?” she asked,
her lips smirking.
God
yes. She knew it. It came to her. My lips grew into a smile that
was larger than life. I pressed our bodies back together and finally
without having her eyes to distract me, I moved my lips by her ear.
“It’s
called Wanted by Hunter Hayes,” I whispered gently.
Feeling
her body mold next to me as I held her, I thought to myself how
nothing could ever explain how badly I wanted this girl.
Her
hands moved and delicately cupped behind my neck. Feeling her latch
onto me was enough to make my brain fog over and my knees want to
collapse. I did everything I could to contain myself as I locked both
of my hands behind her back. We were a chain link; nothing could
break us apart now. Our cheeks were no longer side by side, as our
eyes were now peering softly into each other. Her eyes. Those damn
eyes could kill a man. The soft hazel color could get you lost if you
stared into them long enough. They swirled green and brown and became
lighter the happier she was. They were like a drug as they caught
your attention and didn’t let go. They pulled me in and I’d be
lying if I said I tried to stop it. Her whole face was drawing me in
like a gravitational pull. Those eyes, those flushed red cheeks, and
those pink lips. They took me in and pulled me so close I could feel
her warm breath hitting my lips. We weren’t inches apart or even
centimeters. We were mere millimeters, a breath and one second apart.
As
the song winded down my heartbeat only grew louder. It was the only
thing my ears were hearing. Boom. Boom. Boom. It accelerated faster
as I moved and passed our millimeter mark. One last breath and one
more second my lips would be on hers. The rights, the wrongs, and
every reason why I shouldn’t kiss this phenomenal girl in front of
me silenced as my breath hitched and now we were only one second from
kissing.
Her
eyes seared into me, her body was snug against mine and her lips were
within reach. They were almost grazing, and then it happened. We
stopped moving toward each other and gravity now yanked us apart. The
song changed, the mood altered, and the crowd around us went chaotic.
Our moment was gone, vanished. Only one second away from our lips
connecting and one second was all it took to steal it away.
Was
it a sign? I knew I was playing with fire, but maybe it was bigger
than a matchstick flame and more like a bonfire. I almost kissed this
fantastic girl. What was I thinking? I couldn’t have her. She
wasn’t mine to take. She would kill me if she knew the secret I was
withholding from her while I stood there, trying to kiss her and make
her mine. I was more than sure this was a sign and I was even more
positive it was needed.
“My
turn next,” Moose shouted as he grabbed her hand. The very one that
was just around my neck.
The
stinging pain behind my eyes threatened as I watched her face. It had
lost its luster as we both stared. Was she thinking the same thing as
I was? Were the wheels turning in her mind about the coincidence of
the moment we lost? The first moment I reluctantly stopped and then
this one that was cut short for us? I tried to smile for her but I’d
be lying if I said it was easy.
Kasey
grabbed my hand and led me off in another direction, far away from
the only person I wanted to be next to. I lost sight of Cassie as we
got closer to the edge of the dance floor, away from the crowd. We
were dancing, but it was weak and the allure of having fun on a dance
floor vanished the minute my hands left Cassie.
The
look in Kasey’s eyes snapped me out of my thoughts. “Why are you
looking at me like that?” I asked.
“What
was all that about?”
I
popped a brow and looked at her like I didn’t have a clue what she
was asking.
“With
Cassandra. Stop playing dumb. I know you better than you think.”
I
felt the tension in my shoulders relax as I let out a breath. She
knew me well. Too well. Growing up together didn’t help the fact
that she already knew the things going on in my life and the blank
emotions I wore on my face to hide my feelings.
“I
don’t know what to do Kasey.”
A
smile surfaced on her face like she knew something. “Make a move
you pansy ass. She likes you. A whole helluva lot. I had to get the
scoop out of her too.”
“What
did she tell you?” I asked her, sounding way too eager for a guy
that’s twenty two.
“I’ve
already told you enough. She likes you, you like her. Make your move
already.”
“I
don’t think it’s a go-.” She hovered her hand over my mouth and
stopped what she knew was going to come out of it; the reasons why I
should not make a move.
“Just
go with it Jason. I see the way you look at her. Even when you
brought her over for dinner at Maggie’s,” she said as her eyes
went soft. “What is it you always say? Let the-the-“
Damn
her and her smarts. “Chips fall where they may,” I reminded her.
“That’s
it. Let them fall where they may. Make a move and let the rest work
itself out.”
“We’ll
see. I can’t promise anything, but I appreciate the subtle
nudge.” I laughed.
“You
deserve to be happy too, Jason,” she said. Her eyes went from
determined to soft as she gave me a knowing smile.
She
was right. I needed to follow my own damn advice. Tonight I’d let
the chips fall and not look back.
Away – Playlist
Cowboy Take Me Away – Dixie Chicks
Wanted – Hunter Hays
If I Didn’t Have You – Thompson
Square
Crash into Me – Dave Mathews Band
Sure Be Cool If You Did – Blake
Shelton
Runnin Outta Moonlight – Randy Houser
Don’t You Wanna Stay – Jason Aldean
Collide – Howie Day
Fix You – Coldplay
Wherever you will go – Lifehouse
Over You – Miranda Lambert
PURCHASE LINKS:
AUTHOR BIO:
B.A. Wolfe is a girl with a passion for reading and writing, and lives in the good ol’ state of Colorado with her husband (her biggest cheerleader), and her two crazy min pin fur babies. These days, her life is anything but calm, and there isn't one thing she’d want to change. B.A. spends all her free time either furiously typing stories on her laptop or happily reading through her endless TBR on her Kindle. Her list of favorites would be long enough to fill a book, but most would likely fall under the romance category. She is a sucker for a good love story that makes her cry, and an amazing book boyfriend who will melt her heart. ‘Away’ is B.A. Wolfe’s debut novel.
AUTHOR LINKS:
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